


The Elephant and the Mouse (Mori x Reader)

by ClaraAngel88



Series: The Elephant and the Mouse (Mori x Reader) [1]
Category: Ouran High School Host Club - All Media Types
Genre: Awkward Flirting, Canon - Manga, F/M, Manga & Anime, Ouran High School Host Club Shenanigans, Reader-Insert, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:21:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28255338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClaraAngel88/pseuds/ClaraAngel88
Summary: (Y/N) (L/N), a short third year, works in her parent's world-famous bakery. She is the eldest child and heir to the bakery.So when she is approached by the infamous Host Club to bake treats for all their guests, how can she refuse?Only problem? When focusing on her job and the shenanigans of the Club, the affections of others-especially when they're quiet-fly right over her head. The clueless girl drives a certain host bonkers, but he can't find the words to express his feelings in a plain way.-DISCLAIMERS-**She/her pronouns will be used****Ouran High School Host Club belongs to Bisco Hatori. All characters and settings belong to her. Please support the creator by watching the anime and reading the manga!****Cover art is not mine. I do not know who drew the faded picture. I will find out soon****Cover was edited in PicsArt****References, including plot and characters, to the manga will be made**
Relationships: Morinozuka Takashi/Reader
Series: The Elephant and the Mouse (Mori x Reader) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2069847
Comments: 3
Kudos: 51





	1. Prologue

"They need what?"

"A private baker, sweetie. They already have a cook, but the Haninozukas are in dire need of someone to bake cakes and other sweets for their eldest son. He's an absolute monster when it comes to food," My mother explains, her (E/C) eyes shining brightly. "Their two cooks can hardly keep up with both jobs." My mother gently pats my head, a beautiful smile gracing her aged but lovely face.

"Shouldn't they just hire more cooks, then?" I cut her off with furrowed eyebrows. I want to take advantage of her offer, but I suppose I just don't understand why they need me, an amateur baker, when the Haninozukas is a rich, well-renowned family. 

"So," my mother drawls out, "Since they buy items from our shop in bulk, we figured this would be good practice for you! You always wanted someone to taste-test your food besides us, right? Plus, this kid is a sweets enthusiast. He'll be the most critical of how things taste. It's a great opportunity for you to improve, prepare to take over the family business, and help out your sister. You two wanted to run the bakeries together, right?" She smiles brightly. I haven't seen mom this cheerful in such a long time, "-Plus, he's your age and goes to your school."

"Why do they want me, though?" I click my tongue, thinking over her proposition. There are people vastly more talented than I am, and I know Honey and his family could easily afford to give jobs to all of them. 

"Well, it's just-I wasn't going to tell you since you strive so hard to improve all the time, and I didn't want your work ethic to falter, but, ah-the Haninozukas really like our bakery, you see-" My mom waved her hands, trying to summon the right words, "-They love our themes, our aesthetics-to them, we have just the right taste. I've given them your food before, sweetie. They liked it more than anything I've ever fed them. When you do something perfectly, you do it perfectly."

My eyes widen. Do they truly enjoy my baking? Why? I mess up all the time and most of my stuff comes out mediocre at best. Well, whatever the Haninozukas reasoning is, I will accept! "Thanks, mama-" I smile but begin clicking my tongue, "-How often will I need to bake for Hunny-Kun? After school? All-day long in the summer?"

"Exactly what you just said. And Kun? Are you close with Mitsukuni?"

I shake my head and flail my arms around frantically, smiling. "No! No, it's just, well, Hunny-Kun insists that everyone calls him Hunny Kun or Chan. He's very kind and somewhat childish, so I just follow what he wants."

My mother nods with an understanding look on her face, although she giggles, "I hope you like that Morinozuka boy as well. I was told that those two are inseparable."

"You mean Takashi-San-er, Mori-San?" Calling Mori-San Takashi is reserved for people close to him, like Hunny-Kun, but I couldn't help but let it slip sometimes. Mori-San and Hunny-Kun always seemed closer than anyone else, even a pair of best friends. There was something else to their relationship, but I wasn't quite sure what it was. The Morinozuka family had served the Haninozukas for generations, so perhaps-?

"Yes, the tallboy. Anyway, he'll apparently watch you like a hawk. According to the Haninozukas, he almost acts like Mitsukuni's bodyguard or servant of some sort. It seems pretty weird to me, but who am I to judge?" Mother giggles, shrugging. "Anyway, does that sound like an okay idea? Would you be interested?"

I rapidly nod my head, bouncing on the balls of my feet. I always got along with Mori-San and Hunny-Kun, but this is my chance to get closer to the people in my grade and test my baking skills! "Yes, yes, I would love to!"

With a grin, Mom gives me a high-five. "Awesome! I'll schedule a meeting with the Haninozukas right away!"

***

Like a majority of the people who attend Ouranl, Hunny-Kun's house is absolutely gorgeous. I stare up at the lightly colored house and the tall main entrance, entranced by the mixing of light yellows, pinks, and blues. I climb up the front stairs and approach the large, almost castle-like doors painted in a beautiful pastel blue. I find the decoration of the house stunning, yet amusing, too. One, if not the, strongest families in the world live here, but their house is adorable. 

I notice all of the dojos around the main mansion, though, and take light of how the traditional Japanese style influenced the design of the main mansion, too. I expected nothing less from a family well-known for creating and excelling in their own style of Martial Arts. 

I give my mom and dad nervous smile when I look back at them and then shift my glance to the large door. I gently knock on it, turn my gaze to look at the textures, and admire the engraved swirls and leaves on the framing of the doors. I notice a large door knocker and grasp the smooth handle, looking back to my parents again. My mom just smiles and motions for me to continue, so I give her a curt nod and tap the handle against the knocker-Boom! My eyes widen and I flinch upon hearing the thunderous echo. What? I've never heard one so loud before! No wonder they don't have a doorbell!

The door swings open, and I accidentally yelp as I jump back. Eyes wide, I look past the door which almost took me out and notice a kind looking maid. She's noticeably taller than me-then again, I'm mouse-like in comparison to everyone else-but she's buff, too. What muscular arms-!

"Hello! Are you the (L/N) family?" I nod at the maid, gently sighing to calm myself down. 

"Yes-yes, we are, thank you," I stammer, although I smile brightly at the black-haired women. She gives me a smile back, waving her hand inside of the house. 

"Right this way. Please put on the shoes we have set out for you," she requests politely. My parents and I enter the home, slipping off our outdoor shoes and replacing them with the indoor slippers the Haninozukas so graciously provided. I let out a pleasant hum, burying my feet in the cushioned slippers. 

The maid leads us through a hallway that branched off into a few different rooms and a closet or two, probably. I caught a glance of the large kitchen on my right, and I found myself gapping at its elegance. Obviously, the kitchen in my home is the most extravagant room in the house, but theirs is splendid! She turns left and I follow a few steps behind, looking at art and lovely sliding doors decorating the walls. 

We arrive in a room that appeared to be a main living area, which held a few chairs and couches as well as a few small tables. As we entered the room, Haninozuka-San, Honey's father; Hunny-Kun; and Yasuchika-Kun stand and bow to us. My family and I mirrored them, and I smile pleasantly like my mother and father. 

*Thump* "(F/N)-Chan!" Honey glomps me in a hug, and I giggle in response. 

"Hunny," his father scolds, making Honey back up to his position. Haninozuka-San turns to us with a small smile on his face. "Ah, the (L/N)s. Pleasure to see you all this fine evening. I apologize for my son's sporadic behavior."

"You as well, Yorihisa," (F/N) greets back, taking Haninozuka-San's hand in his own. 

"And Mitsukuni is fine! His excitement is refreshing," my mother adds in with a grin. Her words make Hunny smile, although I see Chika rolls his eyes. 

Haninozuka-San nods to my mother, "As much as I love having you all over, I'm afraid our cooks are completely worn out-" 

"Only because Hunny's some sort of monster-alien thing," Chika pouts, wistfully looking towards the hall. Maybe he's thinking of the kitchen?

Haninozuka-San ignores Chika's whines and addresses the main topic of our meeting immediately, "So let's get down to business, shall we?"

"That's why I'm here though, right? To relieve the cooks of most of that tension?" I cut in and look from Chika to Haninozuka-San. 

"Well, yes, you're right, but allow me to speak with your parents over the boring info for the moment."

"No need, Haninozuka-San, I'm the one working. I'd like to hear about it too." I dismissively wave a hand, although I kept my tone light and friendly. I should decide how I work, right? It's my schedule, not my parents'. 

"If you insist-" I nod to assert my opinion, so Haninozuka-San continues, "Now, with all that settled, we can decide when. Obviously, your daughter is an intelligent girl-she's top of Class 3-A, after all-and with the way she bakes I imagine she's busy as it is. I don't want her over here until she has all her assignments completed for the night, especially since I'm not paying her for the work-"

"With all due respect, Haninozuka-San, it'll take hours for me to bake everything for Hunny. If you want me to have everything prepared by 6, perhaps 7, I need to come right after club activities. My preparation is quick, but you can't rush the bake into the oven. Plus, it'll give my brain time to cool down and relax after classes, which makes it easier for me to focus on other work later on."

"Are-are you sure? I know you're a capable lady, but that's a lot to do in such a short time." Haninozuka-San raises an eyebrow, but I didn't falter. 

"Of course! And I'll still have help, right? Plus, this is for my future, I can handle everything fine!"

"Sweetie, we know you're good at multitasking, but isn't this a lot to take on at once?" My mom lays her hand on my shoulder, giving me a gentle "warning" squeeze. 

I look to my mom and dad, pursing my lips. "You think so? But you and dad handle hundreds of orders every single day! You get up at 4 to prepare things for the bakery's opening at 9, and then you don't get to sleep until 10. Won't this job help prepare me for long hours?"

"I, uh, I guess so…" father trails off, adjusting the cuff of his shirt sleeve. 

"Then it's settled!"

"You're assertive, I give you that-" Haninozuka-San chuckles, "-I suppose it's official then. (Y/N) will come here after school, bake for my eldest son, and then go home and continue her diligent work."

"(Y/N)-Chan!" Hunny glomps me in another hug, although I readily took him into my arms this time. "We're going to see each other even more often now!"

I grin and nod eagerly, "Ah-yes, I suppose we will! The pleasure is all mine, Hunny-Kun." I pat the boy's head despite him only being a few inches shorter than me. 

"Come on! You should bake me something!" Hunny releases me from his tight hug, squeezing Usa-Chan in one arm and grabbing mine with his free hand. He bounces as he leads me down the hallway from before, and I look back at my parents and sheepishly grin and wave "bye" to them. 

"Take as long as you need, Sweetie!" my dad calls after me, and I give him a small nod. 

The three adults and Yasuchika watch as Hunny leads me away before turning to look at one another and begin a conversation out of my ear-shot. 

As Hunny and I travel through the hallway and turn to enter the kitchen, the same maid from before opens the front door. 

"Ah, Morinozuka-San." The maid bows to the male before turning to allow Mori into the house. I watch the tall, attractive male casually step inside; his face was expressionless as usual. 

"Mitsukuni-" he starts, until his eyes fell on me. He paused as he stared for a moment before shifting his gaze to look back at Hunny, who had pulled me towards the front door. Mori changed into a pair of slippers as Hunny released me to hug his friend, and I grin at the two. 

"Takashi! (Y/N)-Chan is gonna be baking all my cakes from now on!" Hunny pulls me into another hug, and I grin sheepishly. Once he releases me from his arms, I give Mori a small bow. 

"It's an honor to bake for someone who loves sweets so much!-" I look to Hunny, who had little flowers dancing around his cheerful expression, before shifting my gaze back up to Mori, "-I know you two are close, so I promise to do my best and make him happy, Takashi-San!"

Mori stares at me for a while, although I notice his shoulders loosen from their previous tensity, "Mori."

"Huh?"

"He means just call him Mori, (Y/N)-Chan!" Hunny explains. 

My eyes widen in realization, but I smile brightly at Mori. "Oh! Right, thank you, Mori!"

With the slightly awkward explanations out of the way, the three of us head to the kitchen. I look around, itching to search for the locations of all the basic ingredients. 

"Go ahead and look around! I hope you get comfortable," Hunny-Kun offers, and I eagerly nod as I start to look through all the cabinets, drawers, and fridge. 

Once I believe I'm generally familiar with the layout of the kitchen, I turn back to my classmates. "So, is there anything you're craving? Oh, Mori, I could make you something too, if you'd like," I ask politely. 

"Ohh, a vanilla cake with strawberries!" Hunny requests. I nod to the short boy and glance to Mori with a raised eyebrow. 

"No-"

"Mori likes oriental food!" Hunny cuts in.

"Oh? Then how about mochi? Or Daifuku?" I suggest, looking towards the tall male. 

Mori stares at me and Hunny with no expression on his face, remaining quiet. "... Daifuku," he murmurs in his deep voice. I'm never around Mori often, and I know he doesn't talk much in the first place, so this is the most I think he has ever said in front of me. 

"Okay! How about a strawberry Daifuku to match Hunny?" I grin. 

"Oh, sounds good! Do that!" Hunny ushers me on. 

With a clear go-ahead, I start pulling out ingredients from around the kitchen and placing them on the main counter. 

***

It doesn't take much time for me to whip up a vanilla cake batter, which I separate into two small pans and put in the preheated oven. I then mix up a strawberry puree and vanilla buttercream, as well as chopping up strawberries to put inside the Daifuku. After, I focus on mixing the ingredients for the outer mochi ball, which I eventually roll out flat onto a piece of parchment. I place the rolled out dough in the fridge before turning to Hunny and Mori, smiling. 

"You're so quick, (F/N)-Chan!" Hunny comments, eyes sparkling. 

I giggle, waving my hand dismissively. "Thank you. I've been doing this my entire life, so I hope I keep improving-" I start to mix my homemade, sweet red bean paste together, humming as I work. I put small strawberry chunks into the paste, too. "I've seen both of you fight before, though. If anyone's fast, it would be you two," I add. 

Hunny climbs onto Mori's shoulders, watching my each and every move. "We're just fast at different things, (F/N)-Chan."

I look up at Mori and Hunny. "I-yes, I suppose you're right." I waited about ten minutes to take the mochi flour out of the fridge and then cut about eight circles out of it. I put a scoop of red bean and strawberry paste on the circle and wrap them into small balls. I glance at the timer on the cakes, noticing I had nearly 5 minutes left. I finish wrapping up and sealing the already-steamed Daifuku, and place each ball on a plate, which I put back in the fridge. 

"The Daifuku is all done, but I would wait until they cool to eat. You and Hunny should be able to eat around the same time if I did everything correctly," I explain. 

Hunny and I idly chat as we wait for the cakes to come out of the oven and cool. They were now on the stove, and I took out a rotating cake plate for easy decorating. While waiting for the cakes to cool, I scoop the buttercream in a piping bag with a tip on the end and then pull out a long, smooth spatula to smooth it out with. 

Once cooled, I flip and level the cakes and place them on the cake plate. A pipe a vanilla buttercream dam around the edge on the top, and then scoop all of my puree into the circle. I also add some broken graham chunks for texture, and then I stack the other leveled cake on top of that. I finish icing the cake and put a simple decoration on top, and I push the finished cake in Hunny's direction. I turn away from the two males, grab a fork for Hunny, and then pull the Daifuku out of the fridge to give to Mori. 

"All done!"

Hunny eagerly takes the fork out of my hand and sticks it in the whole cake. In contrast, Mori takes his time as he takes a small bite of his Daifuku, and I just watch the two. My weight shifts from one leg to another and my stomach churns with anticipation. 

"Well..?"

"It's really good, (F/N)-Chan! The cake is moist and fluffy, the buttercream is sweet but not overly so, and the puree adds a different texture. What was the crunch in the middle?" Hunny's review came off surprisingly serious. Does he understand why I wanted to do this, then? Is he taking my wishes seriously..?

"It was some graham cracker I added in the center," I explain with a grin. 

"It was all really good! A little sweet, but that's how I like it!" Hunny set down his fork to hug me again, which made me smile brightly. 

"Thank you so much, Hunny-Kun! I appreciate all your feedback!" I givee him a small bow when he returns to finish his cake. 

"There's no need to be formal! I know you're doing all this without receiving much in return, so I'll help you get better as much as I can," Hunny replies cheerfully, stuffing more bites of cake into his mouth in rapid succession. 

"Ah! Hunny! Don't eat so quickly, you could choke!" I squeak in warning, and Mori nods in agreement. Hunny pouts but slows down to properly chew his food, and I smile up at Mori, "And how's the Daifuku? I haven't made any in a while…"

"Good-" Mori finishes off his first one as he looks at me, and then he suddenly holds out the plate to me. "Take one."

"Oh, no! That's okay, I made them for you-"

"Take one," Mori repeats, his tone just as calm and assertive as before. 

I purse my lips, but it quickly turns into a smile. "Okay, thanks," I murmur, plucking one of the dough-balls off the plate. 

The three of us-well, mostly Hunny-continue to eat the desserts before I have to leave. 

***

"(L/N)-Senpai!" I hear a voice call. I turn to see who it is, only to see Tamaki Suoh taking my hand in his as he bows. He places a light kiss on my hand, and, surprised, I carefully pull it away from him with furrowed eyebrows. 

"Oh, Suoh-"

"Tamaki is fine, Princess." He gazes at me with flirty, narrowed eyes, and his kind, prince-like smile. 

Although I didn't enjoy people in my personal bubble, I smile at the kind male. "Ah, right! Tamaki, how can I help you?" My voice quietly trails off when I notice Kyoya Ohtori, Mori, and Hunny behind the tall blonde, and I furrow my eyebrows again. 

Kyoya wastes no time and pulls out his notebook, "Seeing as you're the heir to the (L/N) Bakery, we assume your skills are nothing short of spectacular-or so we've heard from Hunny-Senpai."

"I-well, I do hope-"

"They are!" Hunny cuts me off, grinning cheerfully from his spot on Mori's shoulders. 

"And having this information, we also know you love baking for others and desperately want critique from a wide audience to prepare for your inevitable inheritance."

"Right, but why are you-?"

"We want you to bake sweets for the host club, Princess-" Tamaki takes my chin in his hand, tilting my head to gaze up at him. I furrow my eyebrows again, "-If your desserts are as sweet as you, I imagine they'll be the talk of the town."

I smile but gently pulls away from Tamaki, who lets his hands drop. "Thank you, but you don't have to flirt with me-"

"Ah, but I want to!" The blonde pouts. 

"Um, anyway-"

"Our club, as you know, spends excessive amounts of money on tea sets, tea, cosplay, events, and everything in between. Due to Hunny's eating habits, a large chunk of our budget goes into sweets from different bakeries. We would like to hire you to be a full-time baker."

"Because I'm cheap?"

"Because it gives you an opportunity and saves our club money. This is mutually beneficial."

I stare at Kyoya, pursing my lips in a tight line. "I already bake for Hunny-Kun outside of school, and I have clubs of my own-"

"Well if you're baking for Hunny anyway, then what's the difference? Isn't your job, right?"

I give the male a small glare for taking my hand, but think over his plan. I did benefit from it, at least. "Will I be getting paid?"

"Since you'll have to bring in your own ingredients and this is a favor, yes. We'll pay you enough to cover your ingredients and a little extra to make it worth your time."

"And that will still be less than buying and ordering sweets from a company?"

"Easily."

Although I still felt a little uneasy about the whole idea, I give in with a bright smile. "I'd love to help!"

My smile brightens as Tamaki and Honey cheer and glomp me in a double-hug. Tamaki rubbed his cheek against my own, making me giggle quietly. As I gently push the slightly overbearing male a small distance away, my eyes fall on Mori, who I had grown a little closer to since taking the position in the Haninozuka household. I give him a small smile before shifting my gaze away. 

From that day on, my life was now intertwined with the Host Club's crazy schemes and Mori's kindness.


	2. A Sticky Situation

Ah, the cultural festival! What a fun, lovely time-

Oh, but, with the Host Club…

I joined the Host Club soon after Hunny's cavities went away, only for the club to be threatened by the likes of the Newspaper-well, it was just a gossip blog by that point-Club, and then I participated in a vast majority of their shenanigans past that. I struggled to get my schoolwork and desserts for the club done in time-I often stayed up late in an attempt to finish everything properly. My personal time and hobbies decided to leap out of my window as a result, though, and lately, I don't go to bed until 12-only to turn around and wake up at 6. I'm fine though! 6 hours of sleep is plenty!

Still, I got to see firsthand the love each member holds for Tamaki and the Club, so I guess it took a special place in my heart, too. They always say how much they hate it, but when they chased after Tamaki and his set-up finance, well, it wasn't hard to see how much they cherish their time together. 

I watch as the Hosts each take a chance to dance with Haruhi in her simple gown that was once a dramatic cosplay. Hunny twirls her around, Mori gracefully glides her across the floor, Kaoru smiles and teases her as they sway, Hikaru’s slung up arm prickles in pain, Kyoya sweeps her away from Tamaki right underneath his nose… I smile as I watch Tamaki and Haruhi finally share their dance, every girl completely enraptured by the sweet elegance. 

I watch as the hosts soon disperse themselves among customers. I find my feet trying to move in their direction, but I force them to stay in place. I am not a guest; I’m just a fellow member. I look around at the girls around me. They're all decked out with beautiful, princess-Esque dresses in the hopes of catching a Host's attention. Looking down at myself and my special evening gown/suit, I suppose I'm trying to do the same. 

I look towards the spread of food and desserts-all the sweets I had provided and my hand hovers over a tray of cookies. I'm not exactly doing anything else, right? What could six mini-cakes hurt? My eyes burn on a(n) (F/F) cupcake, and I nearly grab one when I hear someone speak to my left. 

"Haruhi looked so cute in that dress though!" I hear and see Kurakano squealing, a bright smile on her face. I let out a quiet sigh, my lips curling into an amused smile. I swear these girls couldn't possibly be straight, could they?

"Agreed! But… I don't know, didn't he just look really feminine?" Sakurazuka points out, pursing her lips. 

"Hasn't that always been part of his charm..?" Kurakano tilts her head. I raise my eyebrows and listen in as I grab a cupcake. 

"Well yeah-! But haven't you noticed that it's always Haruhi who dresses as a girl, and when we went swimming he wasn't even wearing a swimsuit! I know he said he didn't want to swim, but isn't that a little suspicious?" Sakurazuka points out, eyebrows furrowed. 

"Well, Haruhi looks the most feminine-"

"Yeah, exactly! Why does the Host Club even need him to dress in girl clothes in the first place?"

I take a bite of my cupcake. Oh-! I did a good job on these. They're light and moist~! I focus my attention back on the girls, watching them stand quietly in thought. 

"What if Haruhi is a girl?" Sakurazuka asks, her eyebrows furrowing upwards. 

Ohhh, tea-!

"Then we question our sexualities?" Kurakano suggests, which nearly makes me snort out my cupcake. 

"I'm being serious!"

"So am I. I mean, obviously we're under the impression that Haruhi is a guy, so we're attracted to guys, but the real question is: would we stop being attracted to him if he turned out to be a her..?" Kurakano explains, making Sakurazuka crinkle her eyebrows. 

"Huh, I don't know…"

I hum to myself, enjoying my moist cupcake. I'm so happy I didn't oversweeten the frosting-that slight bitter touch balanced out all the sugary-ness-and the little candies added a needed crunch. I step past the two first years and offer them a kind smile as their conversation dies off. Perhaps I should tell Kyoya rumors of Haruhi are circulating? Her identity is bound to be exposed at this rate, so the Host Club may as well try to soften the blow. 

I toss the wrapper in a nearby wastebasket and allow my eyes to scan the dance floor once again. I should let Kyoya know as soon as possible-then again, Tamaki and Haruhi did just fall off a bridge. Maybe I can save the news for tomorrow and just enjoy the rest of the night? I pass along the buffet of food with a salivating mouth. I just had a cupcake! Why am I so hungry-oh who am I kidding? It's food! I can't fool a single person around me. 

Still, I force my attention on the dancing Hosts in the hopes of distracting my bored tummy and hum softly. To add to my efforts, I continue to walk through the crowd of girls in the opposite direction of the dilemma. I watch Hikaru and Kaoru share a dance, rolling my eyes at the clump of girls swooning around them. I suppose I shouldn't judge, though, since the girls were bouncing so high they nearly headbutted the ceiling out of excitement. 

"Look at that dress.."

"Didn't the hosts dress as girls once? They weren't convincing at all, or so I heard-! But Haruhi is just different."

"Well, he kind of reminds me of that really pretty boy Korean style going around now. I think you're reading too much into-

"Hey, wait! All the Hosts act so weirdly around him though. They get flustered and even look at him differently… I mean, why would they dance with him-"

"It's just part of the theme!"

Oh no. So the students here can be attentive? I didn’t think that was possible! I lift my dress so it can no longer sweep along the ground, and my shoes clack against the shiny surface as I make my way through the crowd. “Sorry, excuse me-” I stammered, holding up my free hand when I bump into a random classmate.

“Oh, (Y/N)-Senpai, I didn’t know you’d be here… Did they steal your soul too?,” Reiko Kanazuki comments, looking down towards her heeled feet. Her squared, typically side bangs fall over her eyes, and I pause.

“Reiko-Chan? I thought you were a member of the Black Magic Club?” I tilt my head, letting my skirt fall to the floor.

My underclassman shoots her head up, lips pursed. “Of course I am-I just, um, wanted to see why everyone liked the Hosts. I think Hunny-Senpai has put a curse on me, though! I should’ve never come to an event unguarded.”

I blink. “Right, uh, I’m sure Hunny-Kun would love to dance with you! He could clear this misunderstanding right up, come on!” I grab the younger girl’s hand, pulling her out onto the dance floor right as the song ends. 

“Um?!” I give Reiko no chance to respond and manage to get her positioned right in front of the short blonde. 

“Hunny-Kun, think you could spare a dance?” I poke my head out from behind Reiko’s shoulders, grinning at the sweet-fiend.

Hunny smiles as his previous dance partner leaves, visibly perking up at the sight of Kanazuki. “Reiko-Chan! I thought dances weren’t your thing? I’m happy you can see me in my prince outfit! Don’t I look cute?” Hunny takes Reiko’s hands, making the first year pinken in her cheeks.

“W-Wait, soul stealer-!” Hunny pulls the pair to the middle of the dance floor, while I just watch the skirt of Kanazuki’s black dress sway away from my spot with a small smile on my face. The music starts again, a soft piano floating through the air and into my mind. I notice the eyes of my peers settling on me, so I tilt my head. Wait-why are they looking at me?

I shift my gaze around the dance floor and let out a tiny gasp. Everyone started dancing already, and I’m standing on the floor-! I pick up my skirt and turn to the nearest crowd, only to see a figure standing before me. 

“Mori-San! Um, I’m sorry I know I’m in the way, I was trying to clear off of the floor I promise, you don’t have to tell-” I ramble, the words pooling out of my mouth sounding almost like a foreign language.

Mori holds out his hand, expression unchanging. I blink and quiet down. 

“So you’re not here to usher me off the dance floor?”

He stands unmoving until my eyes light up. Oh! He doesn’t have a partner, so that must mean…

“Ah, um, yes, I’d love the dance,” I squeak, placing my hand into his outstretched palm. He nods, gently pulling me forward and into the typical waltz-styled embrace. With our hands clasped together, the tall male leads me towards the center of the dance floor. His other hand rests on the back of my waist, but his touch is like butterflies tingling my skin through the fabric of my dress. As we position our hands properly, I notice the tips of my fingers hardly reach the edge of his endless ocean of a palm. My eyes fix on his as we turn, and I let out a shaky sigh. 

Mori leads me around the room in time with the song in the background, and we sweep past a gaggle of fangirls.

“Haruhi couldn’t possibly be a female, right?”

My eyes widen, but I keep my gaze on Mori. His expression hasn’t changed, but I can feel his fingers pressing into my back. “Is that going to be a problem?” I question in the best, hushed tone I can manage.

“Don’t worry,” he murmurs, his lips hardly moving as he spoke.  
I furrow my brows but let a smile spread across my lips. “You’d make a great ventriloquist,” I point out, letting a giggle escape from my lips.

Mori stares at me, and I purse my lips.

“Er-never mind. That was a stupid joke, uh-I should really be focused on Haruhi, shouldn’t I? That must seem completely out of left field and inappropriate-”

“Say another,” Mori cuts me off, allowing my mouth to hang open. 

“Oh-oh? Was it-did you like it?”

He nods, and I crack another smile. His lips turn up at the corners the littlest bit-on anyone else in the room, it’d be a petty smile.

“Well if you insist…”

We danced for the rest of the song without talking about the rumors circulating the ballroom floor.

***

I tap my pencil against the edge of my desk, staring at the instructions to an upcoming assignment due in (Subject). I scribble down an answer to one of the questions, clicking my tongue. The teacher was in a meeting and had left the class with me, 3-A’s president, and our vice-president. Thus far, everyone has just been chatting or working on the worksheet. I look away from my paper, only to find my attention focusing on a pointy-haired male. Resting my cheek on my hand, I stare past my classmates across the room and watch Mori diligently make pencil marks on his paper. 

I force my gaze onto my paper and push myself to work. If Mori can be so intense and hard-working, then so can I! I go down the page, one question at a time, and do my best to not let my gaze wander towards Mori.

“Haruhi’s dress was an audacious move of the Host Club,” I hear a certain auburn-haired girl comment. I bite my lip and stare at my paper.

“What do you mean, Ayanokoji? I thought he looked pretty cute,” Mikamo pipes up.

“What boy would ever want to dress in something so feminine? I mean, that’s not natural. Isn’t his father a trannie or something?” Seika retorts, rolling her eyes.

Hunny and Mori now faced the rude girl, looking completely unamused.

“Seika, people can dress as they see fit. Besides, you know how Tamaki is with cosplay-or do you? Weren’t you banned from the Host Club before summer break?” I cut in, trying to stop her before she made a scene.

Her narrowed eyes focus on me. “What? Did I offend you?”

“Well-I mean, yeah, a little bit. I think I offended you more, though, since you dodged my question...” I glance down at my desk, running a hand through my hair. 

Ayanokoji huffs, tapping her nail against the top of her desk. “Why? Are you a trannie too?”

“Um, no, but trannie is a slur,” I mumble, looking away from my bratty classmate. “Besides, so what if Haruhi happens to be cross-dressing? Everyone thinks he looks cute anyway,” I continue, now tapping my foot against the floor. Why did I butt in? 

Ayanokoji goes to retort-

“That’s enough.” I shift my attention to the owner of the voice and let the tension in my shoulders melt away. Mori now stood near his desk, staring at the auburn-haired girl with a deadpan face.

“Yeah! Seika, we already banned you from the club, and you now have seven powerful enemies. I suggest you quit dragging Haru-Chan through the mud!” The Hunny threatens, pointing towards the girl. He huffs quietly, and Ayanokoji rolls her eyes but goes back to working on her paper.

I flick my gaze around the room, various whispers filling my head. Haruhi this, Haruhi that, Haruhi’s a girl, Haruhi’s a cross-dresser. I bite the inside of my lip and put my fingers in my ears, my eyes wandering all over the room. I stop at Mori, who seems to be looking at me, and I stare into his eyes-his beautiful grey eyes. I relax my muscles against my desk, picturing myself laying back on a nice, cool grey rock in the shade of a bright green tree. A light breeze flicks my hair, and I inhale the fresh flowers and the morning dew, allowing my mind to wander away from the worries of everyday life.

I smile at Mori and his beautifully cold eyes before returning to my worksheet and melting in my chair like a snowman in summer.  
***

“Kyoya-Kun, the rumors just keep spreading more. Even if we did something to attempt to convince the whole school, no one would completely believe us anymore,” I discuss with the true President of the Host Club.

“That’s absurd. Surely no one would actually believe such petty ideas.” The male’s glasses flash in the light as he turns to look at me. He pulls out his black notebook and flips to a page, and I sigh.

“But what if it could possibly benefit the club?”

“How so?”

“Well, imagine-” My hands fan out as if to form a rainbow, “-Haruhi is revealed to be a girl, right? Sure, there will probably be some angry girls and guests, but Haruhi still needs to work and pay back her debt somehow.”

“Where are you going with this?”

“And let’s say Haruhi still wants to be a host-well, hostess now. I’m convinced that her regulars would come back anyway, but now the doors to a whole new audience have opened.”

Kyoya looks up from his notebook, now leaning forward in his chair. 

“Well, if Haruhi starts to work as a hostess, couldn’t males start coming to the club as well?”

He raises an eyebrow, staring into my eyes. My feet tingle against the floor as I wait for his response.

“That’s an idea. It’s quite risky, though. How do you know the guys would enjoy something of the sort? Sounds like us wasting money on something that only has a 50% chance of working.” He looks back down at his notebook, now sitting normally.

“Well, what if I ask them? Subtly, of course. Like a hypothetical question? Like what if I talk with various groups and inject the whole, ‘Have you heard Haruhi might be a girl?’ rumor in, and then slowly lead to different ideas of her becoming a hostess or something?”

Kyoya flicks his gaze up to meet mine, although I glance down at my tapping foot. He sighs, and I wait in the silence for a minute or so.

“Don’t be obvious.”

I grin and look up at the male, nodding. “I’ll be careful!” I reply before walking back into the kitchen to continue preparing desserts for the upcoming Club meeting.

***

Early the next morning, I’m walking through the walls, listening to each conversation of the various groups I pass by. That’s when I notice Kurakano and Sakurazuka idly chatting outside of the door of Class 1-A. I smile to myself, ‘accidentally’ dropping one of my folders near them.

“(Y/N)-Senpai! I think you dropped this!” Momoka calls out. I pause and look back at her, eyes widening with a surprised expression-well, I hope it looks that way-dawning my face.

“Oh! Thank you,” I reply, smiling at the devil-horned-hair girl. I take the folder into my arms, humming to myself.

“Um, what are you doing in the first year’s hallway anyway?” Kimiko cuts in, walking up beside Kurakano.

I tilt my head, humming in thought. Why should I be here? “Er-uh, I needed to tell Haruhi and the twins something for the Host Club today,” I fib, slipping the folder back into my stack of books.

“Haruhi? Oh, okay, I can go get him. Oh, by the way (Y/N)-Senpai, did you go to the Host Club’s cultural festival dance?” Momoka questions.

I furrow my eyebrows but slowly nod. “Well, yeah, I made all the desserts and stuff, so they extended an invitation my way.”

“Okay, so you saw Haruhi in that dress, right?”

“... Yeah? I helped him with his makeup and stuff too since the rest of the Hosts don’t know much about it.”

“So you might be able to help us!” the longer-haired brunette exclaims. I motion for them to continue, but the conversation the two girls shared from the festival dances through my thoughts.

“So Haruhi looked all cute and girly in that dress, right?” Kimiko adds in, using her free hand for emphasis.

“... Right.”

“But maybe a little too girly? What if Haruhi is actually a female dressing like a male?” Momoka finishes the girl’s thoughts. 

I slowly nod, humming as I pretend to think about the dilemma. “Would that be an issue?” I tilt my head. The two first years look at one another, mouths slightly a gap.

“Well, that’s what we don’t know,” Kimiko admits with a pink-tinted face.

“If Haruhi turned out to be a girl, would you still like him-well, her?” I question the girls, pulling out a sheet of paper and a pen. “There’s nothing wrong with liking girls and boys, you know. And maybe, if he turns out to be a girl, you won’t like him-her-romantically anymore. Maybe you’ll find out that you just enjoy talking to her.”

“Is it really okay? Our parents always told us we would grow up to marry a man, though. Aren’t girl-on-girl relationships primarily sexual and inappropriate?” Momoka questions with large, innocent eyes. Eh? What are their parents teaching these kids..?

“Um? No? They’re just like any other relationship; the two people just happen to be the same gender. Anyway, my point is, if Haruhi turned out to be a girl and you still harbor romantic feelings, that’s okay. If you no longer have romantic feelings, that’s okay too. My main question is: if Haruhi is a girl and reveals that to the school, do you think that you would still attend the Host Club and visit Haruhi? Whether you love him or not, I know you love talking to him. What if he starts advertising himself as a Hostess? Do you think our male classmates would come?” I raise an eyebrow, clicking my pen.

Sakurazuka and Kurakano glance at one another, eyebrows furrowed. “I mean if what you say is true… I think we’d still go. Haruhi has a certain draw to him-he’s clearly cute no matter what clothes he wears. I wouldn’t be surprised if guys started coming too…”

I smile at the two girls, scribbling down their names and opinions. “Thanks!” I chirp. “Well, class is about to start, so I better head off!”

I don’t notice the twins staring at my back or the look they share as I recede into the distance of the hallway.

***

“Just imagine Haruhi in girls’ clothes for a second. What do you think?”

“It’s a little weird, but I guess he does make a pretty girl…”

“Would you go to the Host Club if he revealed himself to be a girl-a Hostess?”

“I-yeah, I think I would,” One of my male classmates, Yuuta Sutcliff, replies, fiddling his thumbs. I write down his response on my piece of parchment.

***

“So you would go to the Host Club if Haruhi was a Hostess as opposed to a Host?”

“I don’t know, (Y/N), that seems a bit weird,” Miyuki Yu, one of the members of the American Football Club, replies, scratching the back of his scalp and short black hair.

“I mean, admittedly, we’ve always wanted there to be Hostesses too. Girls aren’t the only ones who are bored…” Satoshi Shoji, the co-captain of the club, mumbles, folding his arms across his chest.

“Plus it would be nice to get attention from girls. The Host Club kinda took that away from us,” Hitoshi Sayuka, yet another guy from the club who had dyed his hair a purple-blue gradient, chimes in.

I stare up at the three members of the group, all of whom were not fortunate enough to be like the captain Takeshi Kuze, who was engaged to his childhood friend. “That’s actually a great point! I’ll make sure to let them know.” I smile at the three males, scribbling down their worries onto my slip of paper that was now full of notes and suggestions.

“Hey (Y/N)-Senpai?”

I look up to Hitoshi as he calls out my name. Despite our fairly vast height difference, he is a year younger than me. “What’s up? Oh, I forgot to mention-! I love what you did with your hair; it suits you.” I grin, playfully pointing at him with my pen. His hair and name remind me of a few anime characters, but I can’t remember who…

He glances away from me, gently scratching his forearm. I tilt my head as I wait, humming quietly. “Um, Haruhi would be a fine Hostess and all if he’s really a girl, but what about you?”

“Me-Me? Now, why would-I wouldn’t-do you want me to be?” I press a hand to my hot cheek, averting my gaze from my underclassman.

“Well-yeah. You’re pretty easy to talk-” Hitoshi shoves Satoshi away as the ash-blonde male elbows him in the side, chuckling at the purple/bluenette.

“Okay Hitoshi, we see you,” Miyuki teases, laughing as Hitoshi smacks his shoulder.

“Er, thanks for your input guys. I’ll-uh-consider your suggestions.” I scurry away from the three boys, their laughter and playful banter ringing through my head.

***

I stare at all the Host Club members casually hanging out in front of me. Tamaki looks at me and all my crumpled papers filled with notes, Kyoya wrote down more ideas in his notebook, Hikaru and Kaoru lay on the floor and play a video game on their GameBoy, Hunny busied himself with a piece of cake, and Mori shifted his gaze between me, Hunny, and Haruhi.

“In conclusion, according to just about everyone in the school-including a vast majority of the male population and Haruhi’s regulars-they would be fine if Haruhi came out as a female and became a Hostess. Most guys expressed definite interest in the idea, especially if more females became Hostesses as well. I don’t put a lot of money into my math budget or anything, but that sounds like a whole new sea of customers just by catering to the other gender… Thoughts?”

“We’ve done some math ourselves-well, Kyoya did. Haruhi got confessed to at least once a month at her old school,” Hikaru and Kaoru pipe up. I furrow my eyebrows and scrunch up my face at the twins.

“So..?”

“So Daddy doesn’t want his little girl to be flirted with by every boy in school! She’s too precious for their grubby fingers!” Tamaki whines, clutching onto a throw pillow from the couch he sat down on.

“Oh! I already thought of that-” Thank goodness Haruhi decided to show up late for the meeting today. The twins and Tamaki focus their attention on me. I could almost see their tails wagging in anticipation. “-Guys confessed to Haruhi often right? Well, it’s really not a big deal. It’s not like she shared their feelings before, so why would she return them now?”

“Besides, her math adds up. We could see a huge jump in profit if we go along with her plan,” Kyoya cuts in, making me grin. I see Mori staring at me out of the corner of my eyes, but I did my best to ignore the gnawing in my stomach. Kyoya’s agreement seemed to cement the ideas in their minds, as I receive no more backlash.

“So it’s official. Starting tomorrow, Haruhi will reveal herself and the Host Club will now be open to straight men!” Tamaki stands with a flourish, although we all turn as the door opens.

“I’m gonna what now?!” Haruhi questions, standing in the now open doorway.

Maybe we should’ve run the plan past her first?


End file.
